Air turbine generator for fuses



April 26, 1949. l 1, A, sENN 2,468,120 IR TURBINE GENERATOR FR FUSES Filed Deo. 17, 1947 2 sheets-sheet 2` Patented Apr. 26, 1949 mit UNITED STATES NT @FFICE amended April 30, 1928; Y370 '0. Gr. 757) The-invention 'described :in the `follown-lgspecivcation land xclaims may be manufactured and used lby `or for 1the Government iorrgovernmental punposes without the .payment -to me -of any royalty thereon.

'Ithis invention relates to projectile fuzes and imore particularly'to proximity 'fuzes ha-ving a ro- 'tary :electric generator `constituting the power source for various control apparatus contained lwithin theffuzel casing.

The proximity liuze tis -`'one which fis automatifcally ignited by the 'proximity :of the target when and i-f .ii-,approaches within a :predetermined vdisitance therefrom. In order to adapt such =fuzes 'itc standard -Vordnance projectiles, --such as rbombs, vrockets-or shells, tit fis usually 4necessary rto crowd fa 'large rnumbe'r iof components :into lasmall space. Known :types "of proximity iuzes "usually `utilize *electric `circuits `including 'electric components, Aand hence :require 'a source lof :electric fpower, `#which is often anxliririvenfgenerator, fthe power being furnished by :a 'windmill mounted in the nose o'f ltheiprdje'ctle. Sinceaproximity iuzes are inherently very-dangerous, `:it lis necessary to :pro-

`vide them with safety farmingfdevices to `insure 'lthatlthe pr'cje'ctle'willindtbe'comefarmed until it 'has 'fpr'oc'eededa isafe distance from fits vstarting point. Such safety arming -:dex/rees have "been 'driven ifrom `.the `same Y"vane rwhich provides 'the '#motive power ff'orithe igene'rator. Mechanical and spaceconsiderations prior tomy invention usualfly required fthe safety farming devices b'e located vvin the base oit liefu'ze,Jn'ear'th'e -detonating elemen't. v"1T-he preeeding requirements -h'ave in the lpast 'dictated gthe t'designio *a relat'ively flon'g lffuze lprojecting fa considerable 'distance from the 'projectilecasing, and a7 long s'ha'ftrextendin'g lfrom a vanefon the-'noseto 5the arming-mechanism in the irear. rThe shaft, with :such design, must 'pass `=through the fvery vsensitive electronic' section with *consequent parasitical electrical disturbances *and yimpair'ln'entof the l'elec'tronic"output, particu- 'la'r'ly `in 'radiant 'transmission devices. Special precautions were devised to overcome thesedif- 'cllties which lrny vgihV-eliti'dn obviates. Slight vi- "'bration of a l'shaft passing lnearelectron'ic circuits constituted asource of serious interference. It is diiiicu'lt to prevent 1`vibration 'of sa lon'g fshatt fat l"the high speeds 4usually invlved 's'o that ith'e Aproblemisndtafslizrnle one. lAiuzefof great 'Ion-- gitudin'al measurement i4may also unter-tere with Athe ballisticsfofftheprojetile.

It isaprimaryobject oiimy invention ftoobvi- VIA'ate' the above #difficulties sby'providinganairfdrve lfor "a "proximity Aiuze 1"gerreratcr-antl arming sysi2 tem, said Adrive and al1 moving .parts lbeing 1ocated at a .distanceromrthenose .or near the base of the fuze, without requiring alteration ofstand# ard types of vprojectile casings and without .relduiring the use of-.a'long fuze.

Another object .is to provide a compact, system of the type described, having lno .exteriorly eX- lposed blades liable to damage `or accessible to -tampering, andcapable .offample speed. Other vobjects .will appear yas my description proceeds, Aand these, as .dened'bythesappended claims, "I intend to embrace Within `the .scope of my 'invention.

'In therdrawing's:

Figure A1 is alongitudinal-section vonfline l-I of 'Figure 2-of the `nose yportionof .a projectile containinga iuze -constructed-in accordance Vwith .my invention.

Figure 2 is asectiononrline 2-2 of Figure A1.

Figure .3 is a section on line .3-3 `of Figure 1.

.-Figurezi is a frontend viewofthe Iiuze apart 'from the shell.

Figurefis adetail-.ofthe gearltrain.

Figure 6 is asectionon the line 6-6 ofFig- Aure-1.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary section on the line .1 1 :of Figurei.

Figure :Sis a fragmentaryxedge vieweof the rotor.

vReferring .to the drawings, -therefis illustrated :a riorward portion vl @of a. proj ectile'body, in which :a suitable coaxial .recess lis provided to vreceive `a viuze assembly in aiconvenient manner, the recess eopening forwardly through :the -end nof the -pro- .'jectile, yand the iuzefass'emblfyfsupplying surfaces approximating .the conventionalinose form ofthe projectileas'Willaappean adapter ring :H :is'shownas one means for mounting my assemblyfin af'conventional Afuze recept'a'cle `of the .projectile, this ring being standfard 'for projectiles :'sozas Ato thread into the Vopening therein 'flushwith'the Yo'g'ive of [the shell.

The iuze assembly comprises 'a'tubing 'case t2 Vhaving 'a reduced diameter at .its rrear :end andra major forward part of 'greater'.diameter, including a orward sleeve or'lwall'extension t3 Ythread- -edly connected to `Lthe rfrontfgportion of the larger part of the case, :and :'stoppingjust short ofthe Hplane of `the forward -:side fof the adapter ring. The 'latter is interiorly threaded, and receives fa retainer .ring i4" screwed :into the adapter yring and against the outer or forward endof the'wall extension sleeve i3.

Either integral v,ati-.ached to, :or :separate from, 'the retainer 'rngithere is'af'tube Mwhich'is adjacent there is set` ytensionr sleeve'r AI3 1a` short distance.y

and extending to the partition 23.

ascenso arranged in concentric spaced relation with the wall I3, so` as to aiord an annular air outlet or exhaust duct I5 between the two. yThe outer end of the tube is enlarged so asto form' an annular IE. -While ynot materiaL'the ter-y minal edge or lip of the apron lies in a plane with ir the outer end of the ring II. The inner side of the tube-Mis ared aty its forward end to form an enlarged throat Il rorintake forgthe air entering. the fuze, througnanA annular vrintake duct VL f `which is'constituted between the tube M and the vcase i8 of an electrical unit IS to be described.

chamber. l by screws v36, the heads of which. project from i f the' case rIii radiallysuiciently to engage kthe The tube I4 yis, formed withr notches 2liy atl the base; f

of theithroat, into :whichr nt snugly lugsZi cari lried by ythecase i8, as a centering means,:andlasr y retainers for the. tube7 if the latter is rse'zparate;r firomtheringigk-k., p 'y I In the. innermost and reduced part of the case;

f l2 a booster container Q22 is; xed,l over whiclfik within `the reducedpart orthecasethere ris a I partitiony plate; l23 fitted tol the inner ysurface oi?v y i thereduced wall of the case'and having ailash o port 24 .therethrough at. one. side,y and a small l'socket recess; 2,5 on thesarne diametergat the oppositev lside of Ithe vcenter of the; plate." The e enlargement of the kcase I2. ,aiozjdsy a shoulderv l v orlshel 2 a short rdistance*above the ,partition g l v 23, and in the kenlargement lof the case there@ and -xed a base bodyZB..

tted to ythev large fwall or f of yinsulating material the casek l2; and stopping 28 also has a part of reduced diameter `fitted within the reduced lower portion of the case I2 This extension of the body is formed with a concentric cylindrical socket or interrupter chamber 29 opening on the base end of the body 28, to receive an interrupter and arming rotor to be described. A cylindrical wall of reduced diameter is thereby formed on the body 28, the lower edge of which is notched and receives a key lug 30 on the partition 23, by which the partition and body 28 are xed in a denite angular relation on the axis of the fuze and are locked against relative rotation, which is important. In the forward side of the base body a concentric gear box recess 3| is formed, and a large concentric bore 32 forms communication between the latter and the recess 25.

The electrical unit IE5 stops in spaced relation to the base body 28, affording a rotor chamber 33 occupying the full diameter of the large part of the case I2. The tube I6 may extend to the lower side of this chamber or stop at the upper side as shown. In the top face of the base body near its periphery an annular channel 3Q is formed concentric with the fuze so as to be aligned at its inner side with the inlet duct I1.

`The channel is semicircular in cross section,

with the axis of the transversely curved surface approximately in line with the tube Ill, so that i the outer side of the channel is under the exhaust duct I5. It consequently serves to reverse the direction of entrant air with a minimum of turbulence.

A generator stator body block 35 of insulating material is xed in the lower part of the case I8, forming the forward .boundary of the rotor ist . j stance a windshield' cap Thel block 3.5 is Asecuredto rthis case linner -face of ythe tube' Ill; serving .to space the f .y latter from vthe case i8 rand preserve thesy1n-1y f rr-.etryy of the intake duct Vl.

o In the *statorr body material there yare set ar plurality of windings land cores, Ell,A the cores khaving polesr exposed at the rotor chamber. The windings and.:coresimayconformto variousap-l f l proved practices for such machines to cooperate f f lwith a magnet rotor and corresponding generally to magneto practice. o o

Over the stator a'y considerable Aspaceis af' fordedy ink .thecase I8,r in whichI a part ofv a tarf*get-responsiveelectronic rsystem `38 isinstalled', f; y

which'mayfincludean element sometimes-,2: usedin the extreme nosev .of the uze :responsive to light focussedthereoici` by a lens iii]` mountedv y 'on'the forward end ,of the case I8. Other elements oi? different function maybe substituted, or additionally mounted inr the nose rfor produc-r 1 y ing response to target proximity in the electronic 'system when'energized advisable; orf eXpedeit;

by the generator, as found the iunefmayfbegvarimislyl constructed yas required.

v In the specific instance illustrated, the lens l yperipheryforms the inner wall of the throatv I1 and vaids in focussing air into the latter, ybut in 1 g alternative .s'rystemsv Ica'sing'partsl or other elehr l ments: may be similarly .locatedv and similarly eiective or not.r The air-focussing; shaping .of v such lens and alternative parts; is not yes'sentiahy short of the wall`ex 'fand the nare of -thetube il will be radduate forv The body the uses intended if a Simplecylindrical Wallis vlocated atithe inner sidev of vthe throat Modications of the throat form may also be practiced as requirements may dictate, to augment or diminish the air pressure in the throat.

Fixed coaxially in the stator body there is a hollow shaft 42, opening through the forward side of the stator, and extending therebelow across the rotor chamber through the gear box recess, and into the bore 32 between the latter recess and the interrupter rotor recess 29.

Revoluble on this shaft there is a rotor 43, which is in the form of a flat disc lying in close relation to the stator and to the base body 28. On its substantially cylindrical periphery there are formed a multiplicity of helicoidal vanes 44, in line with and close to the lower end of the intake duct I'I, but stopping short of the outlet duct I 5. In the upper side of the rotor there are set a plurality of permanent magnets 45, which as shown are flat plates of small dimension in a direction parallel to the axis of the rotor. They may be coordinated in size and number with the proportions and number of the cores of the `stator, in conformity with known principles centered by the latter in the assembly. This lower driven element carries a Wrist pin or crank 48 xed on its lower side and projecting into the 'Whileifn the presentini-1y y 4l! and an innercap-M v y g arel shown vm'aunted on the 'lenisythis partof f i .y l

l iforprbitalmovrnentthereininfalpath lincen ri'c with Athe A-fi1ze suris 'and fclose to the wall bltthebore. "The Tlowerend 'ftliecrankfis 1'recessed "and 'receives retractably t-therein from "below -aplunger pin j"49, which iis mounted slidably in an "interrupter and i"arming rotor (750 ldis- Iposed revolubly :in the Cinterrlipter"chamber 329. 7This ipiniis `parallel 5to the 'anis of I-fuze, and *f such "length that A when its yupper end is set 'in the recess luf, the crank l48, "its lower ien'd rides 4i'slifiiingiy on the 'partition "plate "ze, 1which *holds Lso engaged in the crank until travel of tlie firterruptr brfin'gs the plunger over the vsock-et 25. "Phe plunger is -l'oa`de"d by ajspring'Sl in a'low'r the plate 23 "*a's -soon as the 'pin arrives in line 1 l,wlifiththe flatter. -iIhe plunger-:thus :locks the iinterrupter in the arming position, :and :also-.frees the interrupterfrom .the ,gear .trainzso that operation o'f the "generator vrotor is not Ainterrupted.

From 'then on the generatoris eifective in :mainu tttlning .potential .fora .detonat'ing circuit 15.2 -ftwo Heads tonly :of which Aare shown) which .is 'o'pen in the electronic (system, but will be closed there in response to certain'ekternal eifects by which the ieleltronic system isdes'igned to be controlled. This 4.same vdetonating 'icircdit 'is also normally lopen at a switch 53 .having fa `contact fiXe'd on the interrupter diametrically opposite the plunger 49 in the present instance although this position may be otherwise in angular relation to the position of the plunger. A Wiper or brush 54 is mounted on the base Ibody 28 diametrically opposite the socket 25, and constructed with a resiliently supported wiper proper arranged to engage and wipe the top of an insulated contact button or screw head 55 carried by the arming rotor. This contact55 is part of a detonator device which includes a squib or primer 56 set in a suitable socket 51 in the interrupter. This socket opens through the top of the interrupter for insertion of the squib therein, the central in sulated lead 58 from which may be secured to the contact 55. As a conventional illustration, a spring contact 59 is shown at one side of the socket to which one of the leads 52 in the circuit is connected and insertion of the primer causes its cup to effect contact with the contact 59, so that when the circuit is completed otherwise, and the wiper 54 has been engaged with the contact 55 detonation will occur.

The contact 54 extends into a channel 60 formed concentrically in the top of the interrupter and extending across the outer side of the socket 51. The contact 55 may be xed on the primer for insertion therewith and may include an upstanding substantially planiform flange 6I, ears on which are arranged to project into the channel 60 at opposite sides of the socket 51, thereby assuring proper position, of the contact 54. The bottom of the socket 51 has a flash port 62 therethrough, which is aligned with the flash port 24 when the plunger 49 engages in the socket 25.

When the projectile is in flight, air pressure will be built up at inlet I1', due to its configuration, while a reduction in pressure will exist at outlet mouth I6 due to the aspirating eiect of lair deflected by the apron IB past the mouth I6. This pressure differential causes flow of air down through passageway Il, across turbine blades 44 up thriigh #passageway 15. In'asmuch as *bth the irilet fai-'id L'outlet "airpressures are 2a -iunc'- V@trein lfo'f the projectile velocity, their difference 6" 'ds 'to reiriainrelat'ifvel-yconstant over a fairly fvitl'efrainge rdf iltrojeotile Ay'1'eloc`it'ie`s, although the ralgebraie sum i'spi'oportoinal tofthe speed of :the

.projectile SIn inse, 1the plunger v'14"9 will be `disposed an 'angular distanceifremthe socket I25 proportion- Jette to the time effiightldesiredforthe 'Apro-.ie'cti-le Tin unarmedfc'ondition. Tn fsuch condition, upon jiling 'df *the 'proj 'ct'tle, 'the 'air entering the 'inlet @au-cr #It and .passing lout through the `rmet lt5 will *operate the roter 4%, andthe latter through the 'gear train will v12move th'e fcrarik 548 in 'a cirfcdlafrpath, 4'e'arying -lwith i'tit'he plunger 549, 4whose iea'r end slides v4upon `plate "23 forming fthe 'f'at llttorn o'f At e socket l12'9. W'l'ien the vplunger omes te 't'l'ie socket 2*5, it is thrust downward "therinto by its ispii-r'ig :shortly after ythe circuit lis dl'esed 'fatswi'tch 'iihrough the squib 55, 1and lflocking the 'i-'nterru'p'ter in this armed position. "Continuation 'of 'ithe oper-ation `of the generator rotor `supplies the necessary energy to the electronic vinrit. ""Iin the latter Ithe firing lcircuit will istil] "be op'enuntil prciper Atarget response of tlie Tfuze ffoccu'rs, lw'li-icilfi 'will 1 :occur subsequently 'in the conveniiional manner.

r anim; M A y funeiforordnance-profectiles lcomprising an ysixinulfa-r Jair inlet Ypassa'gefwafy having I)an annular forwardlydirected inlet opening, an annu-lar fair `utlet lpassafgewal btintientri'cally disposed with respect to said annular air inlet passageway and substantially coextensive therewith in circumferential extent and having an annular rearwardly directed outlet opening, a common wall between said two passageways, a turbine rotor having its axis concentric with said annular passageways and its blades disposed in the path of said inlet passageway, and fuze elements driven by said turbine rotor.

2. A fuze for ordnance projectiles comprising a streamlined nose portion, a cylindrical body portion rearwardly of said nose portion, an lannular air inlet passageway having an annular forwardly directed inlet opening disposed forwardly of said body portion and rearwardly of said nose portion, an annular air outlet passageway concentrically disposed with respect to said air inlet passageway and substantially coextensive therewith, a common wall between said passageways, an annular rearwardly directed outlet opening for said outlet passageway comprising an annular skirt joined to the forward edge of the said common wall and extending rearwardly therefrom, the exterior configuration of said skirt being such that it and the nose portion together form a streamlined fuze head, and a turbine rotor disposed rearwardly of said cylindrical body portion for actuation by air ilowing down said air inlet passage.

3. The invention as recited in cla-im 2 and comprising an electric generator and a delayed arming device driven by said turbine.

4. The invention as recited in claim 2 and comprising a generator and a delayed arming device driven by said turbine and disposed adjacent thereto.

5. The invention as recited in claim 2 and cornprising a shaft driven by said turbine, speed reduction means driven -by said shaft and disposed rearwardly of said turbine, and a delayed arming device disposed rearwardly of said speed reduction means and driven thereby.

6. The structure of claim 5 in'which said speed reduction means comprises a driven member concentric with the fuze and having an eccentric socket in its lower side, said arming device comprising a rotatable arming member having a plunger therein normally set in said socket, a stationary surface beneath the rotatable arming member, plunger spring means urging said plunger against said surface while still engaged in said socket, a recess in said surface in the path of the proximal end of the plunger to receive the same when aligned therewith, said plunger being of a length to clear the said socket when engaged in the recess, and an electrical switch arranged to be closed by the arming member when the plunger is engaged in said recess.

7. An air-operated turbine apparatus comprising a substantially cylindrical casing structure adapted to be propelled at high speed along the axis thereof, the advance portion of said casing structure having a central nose section and an outer annular section spaced therefrom, said outer section having a retrorsely flaring skirt portion, means providing an interior annular passageway extending coaxally within said casing structure, said passageway having an annular inlet opening between said nose section and said outer annular section and an annular discharge outlet opening adjacent said skirt portion, and a turbine rotor journalled within said casing structure in the path o'f air flowing through said passage,

8. In a projectile, a body, a cylindrical shell section secured to said body coaxially thereof, said shell section terminating in an annular retrorse shroud portion, a centralnose section carried by said shell section in spaced relation within said shroud portion to denne an annular inlet opening, means mounted Within said shell seqticn forming an annular interior passageway communicating with said inlet opening, means mounted on said body and disposed outwardly of said shell section to form an annular outlet passageway communicating with said interior passageway and opening rearwardly of said shroud portion, whereby forward motion of said projectile causes air to flow into said inlet opening and be drawn out of said outlet passageway, and turbine -rotor means journalled within said projectile between said passageways.

JURG A. SENN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,000,862 Voller Aug. 15, 1911 1,226,732 White May 22, 1917 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1,089 Great Britain 1912 304,254 Germany 1920 

